We trust that you are in good health and being blessed by our gracious Heavenly Father. We want to thank you for your concern to help us in this ministry.
Bless you for your kindness that is helping the House of Hope Children be cared for and seeing so many orphans and poor village people kept safe during this war in Ukraine.
The need to enter Ukraine and visit the House of Hope
Sasha, our European manager, and Vitaly, who has accomplished so many trips across Europe to the House of Hope and beyond into Eastern Ukraine recently went to visit the House of Hope. There was the need to check that everything was functioning well there – that it’s being maintained properly and the people and children taking refuge there are coping in this time of turmoil in Ukraine. They were checking that all the survival packs of food are being delivered to the poor and the rescue missions to evacuate children and poor families are running as planned.
There were all sorts of delays and hiccups. Cancelled flights necessitated extra stays in nearby hotels and new flights being booked. Europe is going crazy with fear over what could happen if a nuclear war breaks out. People were cancelling their flight bookings and then airlines cancelled those flights because not enough people were booked to justify the flight, but God’s timing for this trip was so important.
Sasha and Vitaly flew from Düsseldorf to Warsaw, and on to Chișinău, Moldova in a tiny airplane. Moldova was relatively peaceful. They met the team of men whom we helped to evacuate from Russia and who have stayed in Moldova to facilitate thousands of others coming out. They also met with the Bishop of Moldova who has helped us with accommodating refugees while en-route to Germany. The border was jammed with cars waiting to cross. Then they entered Ukraine and drove four hours up the coast towards Odesa and the House of Hope, with air raid sirens going off all the time.
Sasha said, “It’s very weird being in a city with sirens going all the time, with people screaming in fear and running for shelters, while the air defence system is frightening with anti-aircraft gun fire trying to shoot down missiles and drones.”
From reports in the Odesa media and also the Ukraine official media outlet the invading forces are scanning social media for information confirming results of there attacks and to adjust their tactics. They have also been posing as representatives of foreign media for the same purpose. With this in mind we will not publish on the website photographs that either identify people or locations, similarly towns, other than those regularly mentioned by the media will not be named. Some names have also been changed in this report.
If you receive a direct copy of our news letters please do not re-publish any part to social media. Thank you for your understanding.
The Disabled Children and Baby Orphanage
Sasha’s visit here was very emotional indeed, seeing these children once again. The dedicated nurses and carers asked us to help them acquire a medical scale and a lifting machine that could lift the heavy children.
The orphanage director said they still have no permission to leave the country. The authorities wanted to move them to another building in the Odessa city centre, but the director said NO and said these kids have little time of life left and she is not going to risk it by moving into a more dangerous zone. They look very tired and have aged because of the strain of caring for these needy children in the war situation around them.
This damaged city is desolate – with windows all shuttered up. Very few people were out and there were sirens howling. Missiles were flying overhead and people running for shelter. The danger there is still very real.
Update on the two van drivers
Do you remember the two van drivers whose van was blown up by a Russian tank shell near Kherson, and were terribly injured? They were on their way to collect and evacuate a family with many children. Just before arriving at the house, a Russian tank shell hit their van. Miraculously, the two men survived but were in a serious condition, and one of them was in danger of having his arm amputated – his arm was saved, but he lost his hand. We have offered to let them recuperate at the House of Hope and bring their families to live there with them. We plan to get them and their families to the House of Hope to recuperate, and then evacuate them to Germany or Norway where we can get a prosthetic hand fitted. Please pray for these needs.
Sam the young soldier from the House of Hope
We had news from this young man from the House of Hope who was conscripted into the Ukrainian Army when the war broke out in February 2022. At the time, he called the House of Hope to say good-bye. He was in a regiment that was going to the frontline of the war zone, and the next day their regiment was caught in machine-gun fire from a Russian MiG Jet. A number of soldiers were seriously wounded but not Sam. He ran into the machine-gun fire and rescued a number of his wounded fellow soldiers. He is still alive, praise the Lord, and is stationed in Kherson, one of the most bombed cities in Ukraine, where there is still intense fighting. He called and sent us a video telling us about the city and his situation. He is well and asks for our prayers every day, please.
| $ | |
|---|---|
| Future evacuations | 8,000 |
| Survival Packs – food, medicines & Bibles for 485 Odesa villages | 10,000 |
| House of Hope children’s needs in Düsseldorf per month | 6,000 |
| House of Hope – running costs, vehicle repairs | 6,000 |
| Rescue Packs & Bibles for Kherson & other Eastern Ukraine towns | 12,500 |
| House of Hope – maintenance | 4,000 |
| Wages of the drivers and workers | 4,000 |
| TOTAL MONTHLY BUDGET | 50,500 |